Fire-resisting curtain



April 16, w'. M. BRUNST ET AL I FIRE RESISTING"CURTAIN Filed May 19, 1925 6mm WILLIAM M.B RU NST RAL R PH H:GREEGO Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES I 1,109,305 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. BRUNS'I AND RALPH I-I. GBEEGOB, OF COLUMBIIS, OHIO, ASSIGITORS TO THE KINNEAR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Application filed May 19, 1923. Serial No. 10,263.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved construction in which thenormal effect of a curtain counterbalancing spring is rendered inoperable by the action of another spring which may be called a neutralizing or closing spring. Afurther object of the invention is to provide a flexible or winding connection between said neutralizing spring and her. Other objects will appear following disclosure.

The invention is embodied in the example herein shown and described, the features of novelty being finally claimed.

7 In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the curtain winding barrel.

Fig. 2 is a view of the left hand end of what is shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the releasing and braking means.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line III- III Fig. 1, showing the position of the flexible connecting means when the curtain is unrolled. I

Fig. 1 is a cross section showing the flexible member and its drum, the flexible member being wound up as when the curtain is in fully raised position.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the winding barrel on the line VV Fig. 1.

In the views 6 and 7 designate the right hand and left hand end brackets, respectively, for supporting the curtain winding barrel 9 and its mechanism. 10 designates an adjusting shaft fixable by means of wheel l0 and member 10 to the right hand bracket, said shaft also having pinned to it within the barrel a collar 11 to which is attached one .end of a counterbalancing from the spring 12. The other end of said spring is connected to hollow shaft or sleeve 13 supporting the other end of the barrel in the bracket '7. Extending loosely through said sleeve 13 is another shaft or rod 1 to which is connected one end of the neutralizing spring or tension member 15, the other end of said spring being connected with the collarv 11 before referred to. The coil spring 15 opposes the spring 12 when the shaft of the latter is automatically released and the counterbalancing effect of the spring 12 on the curtain is then negatived sufficiently to permit the curtain to unroll or close by gravity. It will be noted that the counterbalancing effect of the spring 12 on the counterbalancing memthe curtain is obtained by pressure of the lug 21 on lug 22 and that the measure of such counter-balancing effect is changed by the relief of the pressure of lug 21 on lug 22 when the spring 15 is released by the release of shaft 1a in case of fire.

The shaft 1 f has loose on it at its outer end an escaper ient wheel 16 and the outer end of the shaft 1 1 has pinned to it a wheel 17 having several sockets in its rim, any of which can be engaged by pins 18 extending through lugs 0n the escapement wheel to adjust the tension of the neutralizing spring 15 The springs 12 and 15 are of contrary winds or tension so that when the spring 15 is released as in case of fire the counterbalancing tension of spring, 12 is negatived and the curtain will descend by gravity.

Secured by a key 19 to the outer end of the sleeve 13 between the escapement and end bracket is a drum 19 containing a tape 20 Wound in volute fashion, said tape having one of its ends secured to the wheel 16 and its other end secured to said drum-so that when the curtain is raised and lowered the tape is coiled and uncoiled respectively. This tape is preferably of phosphor bronze. WVhen the tape is wound up tightly as shown in Fig. l the curtain is in its uppermost position. The tape is made of sufiicient length to permit the full unwinding of the curtain without straining the tape or its fastcnings in the contrary direction.

Contact between the sleeve 13 and the barrel is eflected by means of a lug 21 on said sleeve 13 and a lug 22 on the inner side of the head or plug 23, said plug being fixed in the end of the barrel as best seen in Fig. 5.

The escapement wheel 16 in connection with an oscillating frame 24 pivoted on pin 24- carrying spring held teeth 2 1 to alternately engage the teeth of said wheelserves to retard the descent of the curtain when released for closing. The escapementwheel is held from movement by the engagement of one of the teeth 2d of the oscillating frame 24 with the wheel by means of a lever 25 having a tooth 26 to engage a tooth 27 on the said oscillating frame 24; and said lever 25 can be held up with the parts so engaged by means of another latching lever 28, such as commonly used in such constructions, pivoted at 28 and releasably sustained by means a Wire 29 containing a fusible member 29 that when released fastened to a fixed point as usual or in any suitable manner to effect the automatic release of lever 25 in case of fire. When in the event of fire the escapement wheel 16 is automatically released the rotation of that wheel as viewed in Fig. 2 is anticlockwise.

It will be observed, therefore, that normally the counterbalancing spring 12 permits the curtain to be drawn down and held in the place to which drawn because as the curtain is drawn down the said spring is proportionally wound up and placed under sufficiently increased tension to counterbalance the unwound portion of the curtain. This in itself is very common practice and well understood. in the practical art. But as before stated the effect of the counterbalano ing spring 12 is designed to be offset or negatived by the spring 15 when the curtain is automatically released, that is when the lever 25 and its lug 26 is dropped away from the tooth 27 thereby releasing the shaft 1 1 and permitting the curtain to unwind by gravity, the esc apement mechanism actin as a brake to prevent a violent descent of the curtain.

The operation which can be gathered from the'forcgoingis as follows: To adjust the tension of the spring 12 so thatit will amply counterbalance the curtain in any of the positions to which it is unrolled that spring is placed under tension as far as necessary for that purpose by turning the shaft 10 with the member 10 and fixing the latter to the lug on the end bracket 6 by the pin 10 as shown. The spring 15 which is of contrary effect to sprin 12 is then placed under tension by turning the shaft 14 with the wheel 17 until enough tension is stored therein so it will counteract sufiiciently the effect of spring 12 to permit the curtainto unroll by gravity upon the release of the escapement or braking wheel 16 it being remembered that said escapement wheel is still connected by pin 18. In this preparation the escapement wheel is locked from rotation by raising the lever 25 and securing it with the lever 28 and wire 28 containing fusible link 2 as described; These preparatory steps are performed while the curtain is rolled up on the barrel 9 and the flexible member 20 wound up. As long as the parts are in the positions ust described the curtain can be unrolled or rolled up by hand or otherwise to any position desired and left, because of the counterbalancing spring 12.. When the barrel 9 and the part 19 are turned in the curtain unrolling direction the spring 12 is wound tighter by reason of the pressure of the lug 22 on the lug 21, this operation placing said spring 12 under progressively increased tension to sustain the unwound portion of the curtain to support it where left. When the curtain is raised by hand or otherwise the spring 12 is proportionately released thereby diminishing its counterbalancing tension and in this operation the lug 21 follows the lug 22 the barrel turns. lVhen the curtain is raised the flexible strap 20 is wound up (see Fig. i) and conversely when the curtain is low ered said strap is unwound (see Fig. 3).

Assuming therefore that the curtain is in the coiled up or in a partially coiled state and the heat of a lire melts the fusible link 29 the latch 26 will be released from the tooth 27 and the ring 24 will oscillate back and forth first permitting the shaft '14 to turn and the spring 12 to be deprived of or reduced in its counterbalancing twist and effect on the curtain. In this operation the spring 15 acts against spring 12 through the medium of parts 17, 18 and 16, the last being connectedto drum 19 by the tightly wound tape 20, the part 19 being keyed to sleeve 13 which holds one end of spring 12. Because the spring 12 in this last operation loses some or all of its counterbalancing effect the curtain is free to drop by gravity. The pull of the curtain by gravity not only starts the oscillations of the ring 2 1 but keeps up said operation until the curtain V closes the opening for which it is designed. The pull of the curtain operates the escapement wheel somewhat as the main spring of a. watch starts and keeps up the operation of the escapement. Upon'the release of the shaft 1 1, as in case of fire, the flexible member does not unwind'because the sleeve 13, drum 19 ans wheel ltlall rotate together. The oscillation of the ring 2 1 with its dogs 2r on the ratchet 16 serves intermittently to resist or prevent such a rapid or violent descent of the sill or floor as would endanger its integrity and the parts and connections cooperating with it.

in practice it will be observed that our invention malres it possible to manually operate the curtain desired position without affecting. the successful operation of thespring for negativing the effect of the tension'member on the counterbalancing spring and the release of the curtain for closing the opening in the event of fire. Upon the release of the sprin 15 the tension of the counterbalaneing spring 12 is diminished by the pressure of stop 21 on step 22 thereby permitting or causing the curtain to unroll.

The forms of the parts can be changed without departing from the gist of the invention as claimed.

What we claim is:

1. In a fire resisting rolling curtain, the combination of a curtain winding member,

curtain and its'impact on the to raise and lower it to any a eounterbalancing member for the winding and limiting the curtain coiling movement of the Winding member, means for holding said tension member inert pon the counterbalancing means and thermally controlled means for releasing said tension member.

2. In a tire resisting rolling curtain, the combination of a curtain winding member, a counterbalancing member for the Winding member, a tension member for negativing the ett'ect of the counbra-balancing member, means whereby said tension member may be adjusted and iixed in adjusted position with reference to said countefbalancing member, flexible Wii'iding means connecting the tension member and counterlmlancing means for limiting the curtain coiling movement of the winding member, means for holding said tension member inert upon the counterbalancing means and thermally controlled means for releasing said tension member.

In a fire resisting rolling curtain, the combination of a curtain winding member, a counterbalancing member for the winding member including a sleeve movable rotarily with refere ice to the winding member, a stop for limiting the movement of said winding member with reference to the sleeve, a' spring for negativing the effect of said counterbaiancing member, a shaft connected with said spring, flexible means connecting said shaft and sleeve, said flexible means adapted to limit the coiling of the curtain on said winding membe, means for holding said shaft, and thermally controlled means for releasing said shaft.

l. In a lire resisting. rolling curtain, the combination of a curtain winding member, a curtain counterbalancing; member, a tension member for negativing the eilect of the counter-balancing member, a sleeve connected with the counterbalancing member and adjustable with reference to said tension member and Winding member and a flexible con nection between said sleeve and tension member.

5. In a fire resisting rolling curtain, the combination of a curtain winding member, a counterbalancing member, a tension member for negativing the effect of the counterbalancing member, a sleeve connected with the counterbalancing meml'ier and adjustable vith reference to said tension member and winding member and a flexible connection between said sleeve and tension member, said flexible connection consisting of a tape 'volutely wound.

6. In a fir resisting rolling curtain, the combination of a curtain winding member, a curtain counterbalancing member, a tension member for negativing the effect of the counterbalancing member, a sleeve connected with the counterbalancing member and adjustable with reference to said tension member and winding member, a flexiele connecti on between said sleeve and tension member and thermally controlled means for restraining the operation of the tension member.

'7. in a lire resisting rolling curtain, the

combination of a curtain winding member, a curtain counterbalancing member, a tension member for negativing the effect 01 the counterbalancing member, a sleeve connected with the coimterbalancing member and adust- 1 reference to said tension men.- ber and winding member, a flexible connection between saidsleeve and tension member and means for braking said sleeve.

In a lire reisting rolling curtain, the con oination of a curtain winding member, a ain counterbalancing member, a tension "for negativii g the eliect ot the counteba ancng member, a slec "e connected with the connterbalancing member and adjustable with reference to said tension member and windi= member, a flexible connection between sin s eve and tension member and thermally controlled. means for rclea. ing said sleeve and means for braking said sleeve.

9. In a fire resisting rolling curtain, the combination of a curtain winding member, counter-balancing means for the curtain, tension member for 316, Living the eiiect of said counter alancing member, sleeve connected with the counter alancing member connected with said tension member, means for limiting the movement of said sleeve with reference to the winding member, and a flexible connection between said sleeve and tension member.

lVILLIAli i M. BRUNST. RALPH H. GREEGOR 

